Ratcheting stud wrench



' Patented May 1, 1 951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE RATCHETING STUD WRENCH John Keis er Windsor, 0010'.

I dpplication June 6, 1949, Serial No. 97,448

This invention relates to a tud bolt wrench. It is exceedingly difficult to remove cylinder head stud bolts after the latter have become rusted and corroded in place. The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, light-weight,

easily used wrench which will obtain a secure grip upon a stud bolt, and-which can'be pre-set to rotate the bolt with a ratcheting action in either desired direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide convenient means to enable the operator to set the wrench for either tightening or loosening the stud bolt.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, Which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part'hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l 'is a side view of the improved stud bolt wrench;

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken on the line 3-3,Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar section, taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 3, illustrating the Wrench in place on a typical stud bolt;

Fig. 6 is a detail, side view of a ratcheting dog employed in the improved wrench; and

Fig. '7 is a reduced scale bottom view of the improved stud bolt wrench.

The improved wrench comprises a cup-like housing if] having a central stud bolt opening I l in its bottom and closed at its to by means of a removable cap plate l2. A hollow stem I3 extends downwardly through the cap plate [2, terminating in a terminal flange M at its lower extremity. The upper extremity of the stem is provided with suitable wrench-engaging faces I5.

The flange it rests against a shoulder IE formed on the interior of the housing l0, and is.

prevented from moving upwardly by means of a snap ring ll which is inset in an internal, annular groove in the housing it. The flange I4 is prevented from rotating, with reference to the housing, by means of outwardly extending ears 32 formed on the flange which rest in receiving sockets 33 formed in the sides of the upper edge Cal 1 Claim. (01. 8153) of the housing ii]. The cap plate 12 is held down on the housing Ill by means of a set collar l8 which is secured to the stem [3 by means of a suitable set screw I9. 7

Three swinging toothed dogs 20 are positioned within the housing it below the flange [4. Each dog is provided at the outer extremity of its bottom surface with a downwardly extending pivot lug 2| which engages in a pivot opening 22 formed in the bottom of the housing I!) adjacent the periphery thereof. The pivot openings are so positioned that when the dogs are swung inwardly on radial lines, they will be spaced equidistant from each other, as shown in Fig. 2. g

Each dog is provided with a rounded upstanding boss 23 on its upper surface adjacent its free inne extremity. The opposite faces of the free extremities of the dogs round inwardly to substantially vertical apex edges, and these inwardly rounded faces are provided with vertical gripping teeth 24.

The bosses 23 project upwardly into radial slots 25 formed in a rotatable shifting disc 26. The disc 26 is positioned between the dogs 20 and the flange ll. An eccentrically positioned shifting pin 21 is locked in the top plate [2 by means of a lock nut 28 and extends downwardly therefrom through a circumferential notch 29 in the flange l4 and through a receiving opening in the disc 26.

Thus, it can be seen that,-due to the pin 21, the disc 26 will rotate in unison with the top plate l2. The peripheral edge of the top plate I 2 is preferably knurled, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to provide a convenient finger grip for rotating the plate.

The plate 2% is constantly urged toward an intermediate position, which will place the axis of the slots 25 in radial alignment with the axis of the dogs 20, as shown in Fig. 2 by means-of a pair of tension springs 30. Each of the springs 30 is looped about the pin 21 at its one extremity and extends to a spring stud (H at its other extremity. The spring studs 3! are mounted in the flange l4.

To place the wrench upon a stud bolt such as indicated at 34, for the purpose of unscrewing the same, the top plate I2 is rotated so as to rotate the disc 26 counter-clockwise sufficiently to swing all of the dogs 20 out of the path of the stud bolt against the tensionof one of the springs 30. The wrench is then placed over the bolt 34 and the top plate is released, allowing the tensed spring 30 to pull the right-hand toothed face 24 of each dog against the stud bolt.

The entire housing is now rotated back and forth by means of any suitable wrench placed 3 upon the wrench-engaging faces I5. As it moves to the right, the teeth will bite into the stud and rotate the latter. As it moves to the left, the teeth will slide to the left over the surface of the stud to the next engaging position.

To unscrew a stud bolt, the plate I2 is rotated in a clock-wise direction so as to swing the dogs 20 to the left to bring the left side of their toothed surfaces against the stud. Back-andforth rotation of tlie stem l3 willtheniactito'tunscrew the stud.

When the plate I2 is rotated in either direction, one of the springs 39 will be tensioned, while the other will be relieved. The tensionedispring in each case acts to hold its respective toothed face against the stud.

While a specific form of the..improvemen-t-has been described and illustrated herein, ityis. tobe understood that the same may be varied,-'within the sccpe of the appended claim, without departing 1 from the spirit *ofthe invention.

Ha-vin thus described the invention, w-hat -is claimedarid desired secured by Letters'Patentis:

A ratcheting stud wrench comprising: a-housing; *a fiangemember fixedly mounted in said housing; a stem extending axially from said flangemember' for rotating said housing a plurality of-eccentric swingingdogs pivotally mounted in said housing and adapted to engage -a stud; a radially slotte'd shifting disc positioned over said dogs "and 'below said flange -member, the slots in -said'shifting disc engaging pro'jecticns on said -dogs to swing the latter in consequence of -rotation-=-of said shifting discra cap of said stem; and a similar tension spring tensioned between each spring stud and said shifting tpinaarrdeactmg to bias the latter at its medial 45 p ition.

JOHN KEISER.

"REFERENCES CITED "Thefollowing references are of record in the 20 file of this patent:

iIJNTI-EDC-STA'IES. PATENTS Number Name Date "1,904,322 "Norling 'Apr. 18, 1933 12,516,394 =Keiser July 25, 1950 :EOREIGN :PATENTS Number 1 Country 5 Date 6,911 Great Britain of -1902 -393434 France Aug. l1,'-l 931 (Addition) 7792368 France -'Jan. 14, 1935 888,024 France Aug. 30, 1943 

